Kingpin Tech Technology ideas from the front lines

10Aug/100

Dameware host actively refusing connection fix

Posted by: David

The issue?

You can't connect to a client using dameware because it is actively refusing your request.

Resolution

Go into the device manager and delete the dameware mirror driver which is listed with the display drivers.

If that does not work consult dameware support to make sure you don't have a network issue causing the issue.

2May/100

Windows 7 Awesome Tip : Preview Pane

Posted by: David

Enable your preview pane

With Windows 7, you probably aren't used to all of the changes.  Perhaps one of the best things you can find in Windows 7 would be the preview pane.

While you are in the file explorer going through your long list of files whether it be images, code, word docs, or even videos hit ALT+P on your keyboard.  Now, next to your list of files or icons for files you can see a preview of the file you have selected in the file explorer.

Not all file types will allow you to see a preview, but the video preview will even allow you to watch the video in the preview pane.

24Apr/100

Another great Firefox add on: Extra Bookmark Rows

Posted by: David

So, you want more rows for your bookmarks?

There is an add on for that if you are a firefox user (and why wouldn't you be?).  This add on when installed will automatically create another row for your bookmarks whenever you run out of room on your current bookmark row.  This comes in handy when you don't want to fool with organizing your bookmarks in the bookmarks drop down menu.

If your lazy, like most people - this add on is for you.

If you want to keep your complex organizational system for your bookmarks in the drop down menu, don't worry about it.

How do you get it?

Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6937

From there just click on + Add to Firefox, and it will download and install for you.

When it is done installing it will ask for you to restart Firefox, go ahead and do that so you can start using your now extended bookmark rows!

15Apr/100

Adding a shortcut to file explorer when opening or browsing to select files in Windows 7

Posted by: David

What are you trying to do?

You are trying to get a network location on your file explorer as a button that you only have to click on once to find the location.  This area is known as my places in Windows XP ( also Favorites in Windows 7) and is very good for creating shortcuts to network drive locations where you might need to browse through several folders every time other wise.

Just look, this is how you do it

  1. Find the location of the folder you want to link.
  2. Drag and drop the folder into the left bar into the favorites area.

Now your folder is linked in the favorites or my places area on your file browser whenever you want to select a file with any program!

14Apr/100

Video: Show the developer tab in Office 07 (Word and Excel)

Posted by: David

How to show the developer tab in Office 07.

  1. Click on the Office button
  2. Click on Word/Excel Options
  3. Check the Show Developer tab in ribbon option
  4. Hit OK to apply

What is the developer tab

The developer tab is seldom used by casual users of Office products which is why it was removed from the toolbar by default.  However those familiar with macros and security options with Office files are very familiar with the options provided by the developer tab.

14Apr/100

Updated with Video: Finding .nk2 file with Windows 7

Posted by: David

For those not wanting to watch the video and know what your doing and just want the locations here you go.

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook\

1Apr/100

Using spiceworks to see old comments from a particular person and or from a particular day

Posted by: David

Possible problems that might have you thinking about finding old tickets

  • Someone is trying to see if they worked on a particular day
  • You are trying to see what anyone said on a particular day
  • You are trying to find out what someone has been saying
  • You want to know what Public or Private comments someone has been using in tickets

Solution:

  1. In spiceworks click on the reporting tab
  2. Click on New Report
  3. Make sure "Build this report using SQL" is checked
  4. Type in the following code....

To find comments from someone on a particular day

SELECT tickets.id as Ticket, comments.body as Note, strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%m', comments.created_at) as Day FROM users, comments, tickets
WHERE tickets.id = comments.ticket_id
AND tickets.created_by = users.id
AND comments.created_by = '12'
AND strftime('%Y-%m-%d', comments.created_at) = '2009-09-09'
ORDER BY tickets.id DESC
LIMIT 0, 500

The code above will find ticket comments by (users.id='12'), that were created on 9-9-09 (strftime('%Y-%m-%d', comments.created_at) = '2009-09-09'), and they will be displayed in descending order by the ticket number an limited to a number of 500 results.  To find the comments made by a particular person you will have to find their user id in the database.

To find comments from anyone on a particular day

SELECT tickets.id as Ticket, comments.body as Note, strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%m', comments.created_at) as Day FROM users, comments, tickets
WHERE tickets.id = comments.ticket_id
AND tickets.created_by = users.id
AND strftime('%Y-%m-%d', comments.created_at) = '2009-09-09'
ORDER BY tickets.id DESC
LIMIT 0, 500

If you notice, this is the exact same code as before, but without the users.id='12'.  The code above will find all comments dated 9-9-09.

To find only private comments by someone on a particular day

SELECT tickets.id as Ticket, comments.body as Note, strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%m', comments.created_at) as Day FROM users, comments, tickets
WHERE tickets.id = comments.ticket_id
AND tickets.created_by = users.id
AND comments.created_by = '12'
AND comments.is_public = 'f'
AND strftime('%Y-%m-%d', comments.created_at) = '2009-09-09'
ORDER BY tickets.id DESC
LIMIT 0, 500

The code above is the same as the first code but with the addition of AND comments.is_public = 'f'. This means you will have all ticket comments by a particular person (12) on a particular day (9-9-09) that were false as to being public (aka private).

To find only public comments by someone on a particular day

SELECT tickets.id as Ticket, comments.body as Note, strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%m', comments.created_at) as Day FROM users, comments, tickets
WHERE tickets.id = comments.ticket_id
AND tickets.created_by = users.id
AND comments.created_by = '12'
AND comments.is_public = 't'
AND strftime('%Y-%m-%d', comments.created_at) = '2009-09-09'
ORDER BY tickets.id DESC
LIMIT 0, 500

To find the public comments just change the comments.is_public = 'f' to = 't'.

Tip for success

Don't limit yourself to the code that I have above to find the information you are looking for.  Open up SQLlite and try playing around with it and adding different parameters to the query's.

Also, if you want to find your users ids easier than manually opening up your database just make an SQL report with the following code.

Select * from users

This will list all of your users with all of their information.  Find the one you want to use and insert their user id into the code I provided above.

29Mar/100

How to back up your old CD’s while you can still use them!

Posted by: David

Sim Golf

Sim Golf

Problem:

You have this sweet old game that you loved to play but have a hard time finding another copy of it on the market without having to pay more for it now then you did when it was new.  Or, you just have some data on some old CD's that you are afraid might get damaged or destroyed and you would like to have a digital back up as well.

Solution:

Magic Iso
  1. Go to http://www.magiciso.com/
  2. Click 'Download' on the Navigation Bar
  3. Then hit download from either Site 1 or Site 2
  4. Once finished downloading, Install the program
  5. Start the program, it will ask you if you want to register but that won't be necessary.  Just hit Try it!
  6. Once the program has started you should see, Magic Iso
  7. Then click on Tools, Make ISO from CD/DVD-ROM, magiciso2
  8. Then select which CD/DVD drive to save from, where to save the file to, the file type (.iso) and then select start, magiciso3
  9. Here you will start to see a status bar which will disappear when your image is done being created.  Unless you get any error messages it should have completed the image successfully.  You now have a digital backup of you old CD or DVD you were afraid would get damaged.
24Mar/100

Windows 7 NK2 file location

Posted by: David

The problem?

You don't know where the .NK2 file is for Outlook in Windows 7.

The solution

  1. Go to my computer.
  2. Click on the C: drive
  3. Click on Users
  4. Click on the account of the User who you want to find the .NK2 file for
  5. Open the AppData folder.  If you can't find it, you will need to show hidden files and folders.
  6. Click on Roaming
  7. Click on Microsoft
  8. Click on Outlook
  9. You should now see the outlook file as such below.

nk2


13Mar/100

Video Tutorial: Renaming a computer with Windows XP

Posted by: David

Now, I understand this is very simple and may not be going to draw many hits to the site, but it is important for me to test my video making processes. Everything went fine, so I think I will make more in the future. Probably dealing with Spiceworks in a Windows XP VM.